Seismic characteristics and processes of the Plio-Quaternary unidirectionally migrating channels and contourites in the northern slope of the South China Sea

Flow processes and sedimentation in contourite channels on the northwestern South China Sea margin: A joint 3D seismic and oceanographic perspective

“…Contour-flowing currents of NPDW-CCs are interpreted to play a pivotal role in controlling deep-water sedimentation on the continental slope and the adjacent abyssal plain, resulting in contourite drifts near the ODP site 1144 and fine-grained bottom-current sediment waves on the abyssal plain (e.g., Li et al, 2013;Gong et al, 2015). The effects of NPDW-CCs in controlling sedimentation in contourite channels are the focus of the present study.…”

Architecture, evolution history and controlling factors of the Baiyun submarine canyon system from the middle Miocene to Quaternary in the Pearl River Mouth Basin, northern South China Sea

“…The circulations of intermediate and deep water contour currents are modified from Chen (2005), Zhu et al (2010) and Li et al (2013). Note the distribution of sandy sediments (marked A-D) on the modern seafloor (Wang, 2000;Zhuo et al, 2014).…”

“…The Baiyun canyon system, named in this current study, lies in the Baiyun Sag of the Pearl River Mouth Basin, nowadays in the deep-water area of the northern continental margin of the South China Sea. Modern submarine observation shows that in the Baiyun Sag, there are seventeen regularly-spaced modern submarine canyons (Zhu et al, 2010;Li et al, 2013), lying in water depths ranging from 450 to 1500 m, most of which are NeS orientated and confined in the deep-water continental slope (Zhu et al, 2010). In the past few years, these canyons received a lot of attentions from the scientists focused on the interaction between down-slope gravity flow and along-slope bottom current because of their special characteristic of unidirectionally migration (Zhu et al, 2010;Gong et al, 2013;Li et al, 2013).…”

Middle Miocene reworked turbidites in the Baiyun Sag of the Pearl River Mouth Basin, northern South China Sea margin: Processes, genesis, and implications

“…They propagate westwards across the northeastern South China Sea margin with amplitudes exceeding 100 m, and dissipate large amounts of energy and sediments by turbulent interaction with the continental slope of the South China Sea, resulting in sand dunes on the upper slope of the northeastern South China Sea (Reeder et al, 2011;Alford et al, 2015). Contour currents resulting from the NPIW (NPIW-CCs), together with these internal solitary waves and internal tides, strongly influenced deep-water sedimentation in the South China Sea (Zhu et al, 2010;Reeder et al, 2011;Gong et al, 2012Gong et al, , 2013Li et al, 2013). The current study focuses on the influence of contour currents and internal waves and tides on the development of the turbidite reservoirs in the Pearl River Mouth Basin.…”